Decision-making processes for the initiation of physical activity: The moderating effects of self-esteem and action control on the relationships among attitudes, self-image congruency, and intentions to exercise.

Abstract

This study investigates decision-making processes for the initiation of physical activity on the basis of three major constructs: attitudes, self-concept/participant stereotype (SC/PS) congruency, and emotions. Three main propositions were examined: (1) symbolic images are significant direct antecedents to decisions to initiate physical activity, (2) the relationships among attitudes, images, and decisions to initiate physical activity are moderated by individual differences, and (3) emotions are significant direct antecedents to decisions to initiate physical activity. The first and third propositions were studied by testing the influence of SC/PS congruency and emotions on intentions to exercise, respectively. For the second proposition, self-esteem and action control were examined for the moderating role in the pattern of relationships among attitudes, SC/PC congruency, and intentions to exercise. A total of 215 college students (102 females and 113 males), whose ages ranged from 17 to 31, participated in the survey which was conducted cross-sectionally with two scenarios: joining a private health club and skiing in an indoor ski resort. The results indicated that the image congruency between the self and the typical participant in a given type of sport or exercise have a significant direct impact on intentions to begin the sports or exercise when the effect of attitudes on intentions are held constant for both scenarios. Also, it was found for the health club scenario, but not for the indoor ski resort scenario, that SC/PS congruency has stronger effects on intentions to initiate physical activity for high physical self-esteem subjects than for low physical self-esteem subjects, while attitudes exert greater impacts on intentions to exercise for low physical self-esteem subjects than for high physical self-esteem subjects. Action control, however, did not show any moderating effect for both scenarios. Further, the results demonstrated that emotions are direct determinants of intentions to engage in physical activity and can mediate the impacts of attitudes and SC/PS congruency on intentions for both scenarios. A number of theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are also discussed.